Over 80pc of employees believe they would benefit from mentoring programme

The latest figures from the Robert Walters Employee Insights Survey 2013 reveal that 83pc of employees feel that a formal mentoring programme in the workplace would be beneficial, even though 65pc have never been involved in one.

Almost 10,000 professionals across Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the US took part in the survey.

Only 29pc of those surveyed said that their employer offered a formal mentoring programme, despite the importance placed on them by employees.

In Ireland, the number of employers offering these programmes was higher at 37pc, and 85pc of respondents believed they would be of benefit. Willingness to share skills, knowledge and expertise was seen as the most valuable aspect of mentorship, with 47pc selecting this, followed by 37pc who cited guidance, recommendations and constructive feedback, while 10pc said they would benefit most from a mentor who had a postiive attitude and was a strong role model.

Louise Campbell, managing director at Robert Walters Ireland, said that employers should consider introducing mentorship to the workplace to promote internal learning and development, retain their top talent and increase staff loyalty.

Elaine Burke is managing editor of Siliconrepublic.com. She joined in 2011 as a journalist covering gadgets, new media and tech jobs news. She comes from a background in publishing and is known for being particularly persnickety when it comes to spelling and grammar – earning her the nickname, Critical Red Pen. When she hasn’t got her nose stuck in her laptop, you’ll find her in the kitchen, at the cinema, or on the dancefloor.

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